Private Universities Excluded From KUCCPS Management
A Bumula-based member of parliament named Wamboka Wanami has proposed removing representatives from for-profit universities from the board of directors of the Kenya Universities and Colleges and Central Placement Service (KUCCPS).
Wamboka suggested the exclusion in The University (Amendment) Bill 2023, which was presented to Parliament at the start of August 2023.
The member chosen on the DAP-K platform claims that keeping private universities out of the Universities Fund would safeguard it by guaranteeing that only public institutions get financing.
University funding The tertiary institutions that KUCCPS places students at are funded by Kenya.
The allocation of funding will therefore be significantly impacted by banning private institutions from deciding where students are put, especially at a time when public universities are facing a financial crisis.
The law under consideration amends Section 55(3). The two vice chancellors who represent private universities on the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service board are disqualified under a lawful regulation.
According to the statute, among the eleven individuals that make up the KUCCPS board of directors are the chairperson, the secretary of the commission, the CEOs of the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) and the TVET Funding Board.
Two vice chancellors of public universities, two representatives of the Kenya Association of Technical Institutions, the CEO of the TVETA, the Principal Secretary (PS) of the ministry in charge of higher education, and the PS of the ministry in charge of finances are among the other members.
Also Read: Why 600,000 Students Did not Apply at KUCCPS to Join Universities or Colleges
Additionally, Wamboka put forth a plan for only enrolling government-sponsored students in public universities.
By doing this, KUCCPS will make sure that public institutions are given preference when offering admission to students with a minimum entry grade of C+ or better.
The proposed adjustments must be published and made widely known by KUCCPS within a month, emphasising the new placement specifications for students who are supported by the government.
The congressman suggests that the law’s provisions go into effect six months after it is passed.
In May 2023, Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu made the announcement that the government will no longer cover tuition for students who are supported by the government and attend private universities.
The CS claimed that the action was made to end the public university funding problem and ensure their financial sustainability.
The government unveiled the Higher Education Financing Portal, a new funding mechanism that will give priority to a student-centric approach when allocating funds, to further ensure this.
University and TVET students can now apply for loans, scholarships, and bursaries through a separate portal established by the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB), which formerly provided loans to all students.
However, unlike their peers at public universities, students attending private colleges will only be eligible for government funding and not scholarships.
The new funding mechanism won’t have an impact on current Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) students.
Private Universities Excluded From KUCCPS Management
